Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

January 29, 2010

Man accused of taking purse from vehicle

Woman discovered stranger in car at Speedway

By ALEX PIAZZA

TRAVERSE CITY -- Consider it a caffeine run gone wrong.

A local woman stopped at a gas station Wednesday morning for a soft drink, only to return to her vehicle and find a stranger hunched over the passenger's seat.

Jonathan Fuller, 28, of Traverse City, was arrested shortly after he allegedly entered the woman's vehicle while she was in the Speedway station off U.S. 31 South in Garfield Township.

Fuller was charged Thursday with larceny from an automobile and possession of marijuana.

Authorities believe Fuller entered the woman's vehicle, but was "spooked" after she exited the gas station and saw him. Fuller saw her leave the store, so he sped out of the gas station parking lot in another vehicle.

The woman noticed her purse was gone, so she memorized Fuller's license plate. Sheriff's Capt. Tom Emerson said the license plate helped deputies track Fuller's vehicle to the Grawn area within fifteen minutes of the incident.

Deputies did not find the purse in Fuller's possession. He told deputies he did not steal the purse, which was worth about $40, contents included. She brought her wallet into the gas station with her, which prevented a greater loss.

"We checked the side of the roads," said Emerson, and deputies continue to search for the purse.

Fuller has a criminal history of receiving and concealing stolen property, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

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